ABSTRACT
Globally, rapid demographic change of coastal urban agglomerations, the speed of urbanisation over time, the overall impact of coastal space occupation as well as the limited capacity to adjust to those changes in poverty context represent common themes in coastal zones. Due to urban development and the ubiquitous emergence of hardened, impervious surfaces, flood protection measures or steep gradients in topography, many coastal ecosystems are limited in their ability to migrate inland as sea levels rise, due to climate change. The continued degradation of ecosystem services, when combined with macro-level pressures such as climate change and energy availability, are likely to make continued economic growth difficult if not impossible. Recognising that transitions are long-term processes, significant political and economic changes are, and should be, clearly part of the discussion about how to assure Just Transitions framework for coastal change and adaptation. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
